This Buffalo Chicken Pasta packs a serious punch of flavor and is so easy to make thanks to some ingredient shortcuts. Quell your buffalo chicken cravings in under 30 minutes– all while getting loads of protein!
Can’t get enough buffalo chicken? Try our Buffalo Chicken Tenders or easy Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps next time!
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta is part of our Back-To-School Lifesavers — a series of recipes that are intended to have little (or no) veggie chopping, minimal prep time, around 10 ingredients, or less (not including pantry staples), and use kid-friendly ingredients. Click here to see all the recipes in the series!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta is so quick and easy to make, but packs a serious flavor punch! And here’s the best part: the sauce is TWO ingredients. Really, just two!
And while you may be conceding that there is going to have to be a trade-off of less flavor for ease, it won’t happen with this recipe. Because, with a good brand of Alfredo sauce and the right Buffalo sauce, the sauce tastes restaurant quality. (More on this below!)
Quick Tip
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta without cream cheese is made on the stovetop instead of being baked– making it a true 30-minute (or less) dinner-time solution.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Sauce
As mentioned, good sauces make all the difference with this recipe. Here’s what we’re talking about:
- Jarred Alfredo sauce. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t typically like jarred Alfredo, but Rao’s ®Alfredo is pretty great– especially when mixed with the buffalo sauce and browned bits left behind from the chicken. It’s the freshest tasting not-homemade Alfredo I’ve ever tried and tastes creamy, smooth, and rich.
- Buffalo Sauce. Frank’s® RedHot Wings Buffalo sauce is our favorite in this Buffalo Chicken Pasta! Frank’s makes quite a few sauces; be sure to use the one labeled “buffalo” not the cayenne pepper sauce!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Ingredients
Beyond the sauce we’ve got four other main ingredients:
- Pasta. We like penne, but there are so many different types of noodles that will work — farfalle, rigatoni, fusilli, mostaccioli, to name a few.
- Frozen peas. We throw these in for some added color and nutrients, but if you aren’t a fan of peas, the pasta is still tasty without ’em.
- Butter. Sautéing the chicken in butter imbues it with loads of flavor and adds a nice color to the meat.
- Chicken. While most of the Lifesaver Recipes rely on rotisserie chicken, we want raw chicken breasts for this recipe. This is because we’re relying on the leftover “browned bits” from cooking the chicken to add a depth of flavor to the sauce. We season the chicken simply — just salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you’d prefer, flavor the chicken with a packet of ranch seasoning instead!
Quick Tip
For the chicken, grab 2 large skinless, boneless breasts and cut each in half to get 4 thinner filets — this way they’ll cook up ridiculously quickly (and evenly) on the stovetop (no need to transfer to the oven).
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Salt the pasta water: Salting the water is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta, so make sure the pasta is well salted as it cooks. Add the salt when the water is boiling, and then wait until the water returns to a full boil before adding the penne pasta.
- Cook chicken and let it rest: Give the chicken breasts a quick sauté and then remove to a plate. Tent the plate of chicken with foil and let it rest before dicing (this results in juicy and tender bites of chicken).
- Toss together sauce: while the chicken is resting, combine and heat the Alfredo and buffalo sauce. Add the chicken and peas back in and toss everything together.
- Garnish with your Buffalo Chicken faves! We love some bleu cheese crumbles and a good handful of green onions or chives.
Storage
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
As with most pasta dishes, this recipe is best enjoyed the minute everything is tossed together.
Because of the pasta and dairy in this dish, it is not a great candidate for freezing and thawing. Dairy-filled dishes typically get grainy or the sauce can break/curdle from being frozen and thawed.
More Pasta Recipes
- Healthy Pasta Bake uncooked pasta bakes to perfection in the oven!
- Creamy Sausage Pasta with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad with a lemon-herb vinaigrette
- Chicken Pot Pie Pasta made in one pot
- Sweet Potato Pasta with goat cheese
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups uncooked penne pasta or other pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 (15-ounce) jar Rao’s Alfredo or your favorite brand of Alfredo sauce, see note 1
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce see note 2
- 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
- Blue cheese crumbles optional
- Chives or green onions, optional
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts in half widthwise to make four thinner filets. Use a meat mallet/frying pan/your fist to give each piece a quick pound (don’t flatten chicken; we just want all the pieces fairly even in width). Season each side with garlic powder and about 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and cook pasta according to package instructions, minus 1 minute. Drain pasta, don’t rinse, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons butter to a large heavy-bottom pan. Heat on high to melt. Once melted, add chicken pieces in one layer. Cook for about 3–4 minutes per side or until cooked through (registers 160℉/juices run clear); remove to a plate. Tent with foil.
- Don’t wipe out the pan! Reduce heat to medium. Pour in entire container of Alfredo and 1/2 cup buffalo sauce. Stir, scraping up browned bits from the chicken. Bring sauce to a simmer.
- Add cooked and drained pasta, diced chicken, and frozen peas to sauce. Toss to combine and warm through. Taste for more salt and pepper if needed. If desired, top with some blue cheese crumbles and green onions or chives. Enjoy immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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to the Future AND thanks.
Thanks so much Jimmy! 🙂